A building entrance protector, i.e. junction box, provides an interface for cables from the central office of the service provider for distribution to subscribers throughout the building served by the junction box. A building entrance protector contains one or more connector blocks. Each connector block includes an array of connectors for coupling to an individual subscriber line. Typical connector blocks have either fifty or a hundred pairs of connectors. Each connector is coupled to a specific subscriber and a service technician must locate a specific connector in a connector block for servicing. Difficulty in locating a specific connector is increased where a building entrance protector services a large number of subscribers and contains more than one connector block. Without a clear identification system of each connector on each connector block, a service technician may delay servicing the proper line or the technician may service a wrong line.
One type of existing connector blocks, Lucent 110-type, provides designation strips to identify and/or numerate each of a plurality of insulation displacement connectors. A typical 110-type connector block includes two spaced-apart rows of fifty insulation displacement connectors. Each designation strip comprises a plastic jacket that latches onto the connector block along each row of connectors and a strip of paper with corresponding identification numbers for each connector that inserts into the plastic jacket. For each additional Lucent 110-type connector block that is added, two additional plastic jackets and strips of paper are required. The deficiency of the 110-type block is apparent in that upon installation of each subscriber's line, a service technician must update the strips of paper and/or provide additional plastic jackets and strips of papers, which can be a time consuming process. Furthermore, the plastic jackets often become disengaged from the connector block, causing misidentification of or inability to identity a subscriber's line.
Another type of existing connector blocks manufactured by Egerton provide pre-printed or molded numbers. A typical fifty pairs connector block of this type includes five spaced-apart rows of ten push cap connectors, each push cap connector encapsulates two insulation displacement connectors. At both ends of each row of connectors are raised pedestals, a set of five on the left side, another set of five on the right. Each pedestal has a pre-printed or molded number on the flat top surface. Troughs formed between adjacent pedestals collect and secure wires traversing between the spaced-apart rows of connectors.
The Egerton pre-molded fifty pairs connector block has numerals "1" and "10" on each end of the first row, "11" and "20" on the second row, "21" and "30" on the third row, etc. In order to locate a specific connector, for example, pair number "16", a technician starts with the row having the number "11" on the left pedestal and counts the connector until the sixth connector is reached. This can be time consuming and for a connector block having numerous wires increases the likelihood that a technician may miscount and misidentify the connectors.
Although the Egerton connector block eliminates the need to update or provide additional identification strips, it requires special order of blocks having appropriate numbers for each additional connector block added to the building entrance protector, e.g. blocks having connector pairs "51" to "100" or "101" to "150", etc. Furthermore, when a service technician visits a site, he/she needs to know ahead of time which particular connector block needs to be replaced so that he/she can have it available. These deficiencies can be overcome by having connector blocks without numbers, wherein numbers may be written on or individual self-adhesive labels be provided for the top surface of each pedestal. However, this disadvantageously becomes more time consuming.
Another disadvantage of the Egerton connector blocks becomes apparent when they are placed side-by-side with two sets of pedestals, one from each connector block, abutting each other. Wires traversing between the spaced-apart rows of connectors from one block to another must pass through two sets of troughs that are at a distance apart, which makes the placement of wires between them difficult.
Therefore, there is a need for a modified connector block and a system for labeling the connector blocks that eases identification of the connector and facilitates expansion.